Pouring nozzle



Feb. 6, 1951 L. R. N. CARVALHO Y 3 POURING NOZZLE Filed March 5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l use l awuammi l' ealt'eflfi V L F Julian,

Feb. 6, 1951 L. R. N. CARVALHO 2,540,931

POURING NOZZLE Filed March 3, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1951 POURING NOZZLE Leslie R. N. Carvalho, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Crown Cork Specialty Corporation, Decatur, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application March 3, 1945, Serial No. 580,837

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-566) The present invention relates ,to pouring nozzles.

The usual pouring nozzle provided for use on a metal container comprises a sheet metal tube having threads rolled therein for engagement by a skirted screw cap. These threads project into the interior of the tube and thereby restrict the size of the tube bore. In addition, the upper end of the tube must be provided with an inwardly and horizontally extending flange to strengthen that end of the tube and this flange projects into the tube bore even further than the threads. tually critical opening through the tube or nozzle is the opening defined by the inner edge of the horizontally extending flange. However, the screw cap to be used on such a nozz.e must be of a size corresponding to the outside diameter of the nozzle. For example, a nozzle of the threaded tubular type provided with a minimum opening will have an outside diameter of 1" and, therefore, will require a 1" cap. In other words, the cap which must be used with any tubular threaded pouring nozzle is always greatly oversized with respect to the minimum bore thereof. For this reason, packers tend to provide cans with pouring nozzles of as small size as possible to thereby minimize the outlay for screw caps.

In addition to having its minimum opening restricted as to size as compared to the size of the cap which must be used therewith, a threaded tubular pouring nozzle causes liquid to flow therefrom in a stream which fluctuates in size and is of uncertain direction. This factor becomes even more variable when the nozzle is of an extremey small size. More particularly, the size of the threads and the width of the strengthening flange cannot be reduced proportionately with a reduction in size of the nozzle and, therefore, an extremely small nozzle is more subject to pouring difliculties than a somewhat larger size. Because packers wish to reduce the outlay for caps, the practice is to use as small-sized nozzles as possible. This tendency on the part of packers is increased by their knowledge that even the large-sized threaded tubular nozzles do not have very satisfactory pouring characteristics.

It heretofore has been proposed to provide pouring nozzles of outwardly and upwardly flared form so that pouring lips will be included in the nozzle. In some forms of these devices, the pouring lips have been provided with closure engaging means. A pouring nozzle of the outwardly flared type will have its extreme upper portion of greater diameter than the diameter of the portion immediately adjacent the can top. In other words, the minimum or critical opening therethrough is the nozzle bore immediately adjacent the can top.

One disadvantage of previous flared pouring As a result, the minimum or acnozzles has been that the wall of such a nozzle has included inward projections in the length of the nozzle which interfere with smooth flow of liquid and thereby largely defeat the prin-- cipal purpose of the pouring lip.

Another objection to previous pouring nozzles of the flared type has been that the size of cap required for the flared outer end of the nozzle is greatly out of proportion to the size of theminimum opening therethrough, viz., the bore of the nozzle immediately adjacent the can top. As an example, one prior nozzle of the flared type with an inner opening or bore in di ameter has required a 1 diameter cap.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a pouring nozzle of the flared type which includes no inwardly project to provide a pouring nozzle of the flared typeof such design that the size of the cap to be used therewith is more nearly proportionate to the size of the minimum opening therethrough.

Still another object of the invention is to pro-v vide a flared pouring nozzle including pouring lips and wherein the pouring lips are provided with closure engaging means which may receive a standard type of closure.

In connection with the two objects last stated above, one type of flared pouring nozzle heretofore proposed requires a 1%" cap or closure of special design for anozzle including a minimum opening. As opposed to this, a nozzle of the present invention having a A" minimum opening requires a standard cap of only 1 diameter. Any increase in the size of the minimum opening results in a wider differential between the sizes of the caps required by the prior nozzle as compared to the nozzle of the present invention.

Nozzles of the flared type are usually provided with a sealing surface on their top edge which is adapted to engage against the underside of the top wall of a cap to prevent leakage. In previous nozzles of the flared type, it has not been possible to reinforce this top sealing surface Without substantially increasing the size of the cap required.

Another object of the present invention is to provid a flared pouring nozzle wherein the top sealing surface can be reinforced against distortion without increasing the size of the cap required.

Previous methods of forming flared pouring nozzles have involved extensive drawing or other reshaping of the stock, thereby requiring a number of successive re-shaping operations. Aside from the fact that extensive drawing or other reshaping can only be performed upon special and usually more expensive stock, the repeated open-- ations increase the cost of the nozzle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flared pouring ozzle, of such design that it can be formed. by a minimum number of operas tions which are entirely practicable with circular stock.

Another object of the invention is to providev a pouring nozzle of such type that it can be. for-med from standard blanks commonly used in the manufacture of caps and with a minimum number of operations, all of which operations are entirely practicable with standard materials.

Pouring nozzles are usually manufactured by concerns which also manufacture caps and cans. Prior designs of such nozzles, particularly those which are flared to provide pouring lips, have had to be handled throughout all steps of manu facture by special dies and tools, 1. e., dies and tools not ordinarily used by cap orcan manufacturers. Therefore, in order to produce. such pouring nozzles, a container or cap manufacturer had to provide special machinery toproduce the blanks. The final steps of producing a pouring nozzle naturally require some specialequipment not ordinarily useful for producing caps or cans. However, any method which includes a step which can be carried out on standard cap making machinery thereby reduces the cost of the nozzle formed by that method.

The pouring nozzle included in the present in vention is such that a standard hat-shaped blank, such as is commonly used in the production of container caps, may be used as the blank to be operated upon. As a result, no special equipment need be provided by a cap manufacturer to carry out at Last the initial step of forming the present pouring nozzle. The blank can then be subjected to a subsequent flaring step which is entirely practicable with standard materials and also can be readily performed on equipment of relatively simple design.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and attached drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a container pro-- vided with the pouring nozzle of the present invention and showing a cap fitted upon the nozzle. Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the cap removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged bottom plan View of the pouring nozzle.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the nozzles with the cap secured thereto.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 66 of Figural.

Figure '7 is a perspective side elevation of a hat-shaped blank which may be used in the method of the pres nt invention.

Figure 8 shows the hat-shaped blank after an initial operation thereon.

Figures 9 and 10 show the stages of flaring the hat-shaped blank.

Figure 11 shows the .blank after it has been punched.

Figures 12 and 13 show successive stages in the formation of the nozzle, with Figure 13 showing the completed nozzle.

Figure 14 is a bottom view of a cap which may be :used with the present nozzle,'and

Figure '15 is a side elevation of the cap.

Referring to Figures 1 to 6, the numeral ll] generally designates the nozzle included in the present invention and which includes a loweredge portion ll of circular form adapted to be secured to a. container I2. For example, as is shown in Figures 4 and 6, the circular portion {I may be soldered to an upstanding annular flange formed on the top wall of the container. In Figures 4 and 6, as well as in Figure 13, the circular lower portion II is illustrated as being of fairly substantial height in that it extends between the dotted line Ila andthe lower edge M of the nozzle. It will be understood that the circular lower edge portion ll may be of less height than is indicated in these figures. In fact, the portion of the nozzle beneath the dotted line Ila may be entirely omitted if the nozzle is to be secured to a container by a butt joint. In either event, the lower edge M. of the nozzleiscircular.

The length of the tubular wall portion l5:of

nozzle IE3 which is above the dotted line I la varies progressively, and preferably uniformly, in cross. section from the circular form which it has at; line. I la until it is of substantially triangular form.

at its upper edge It, as best shown in Figures .2.

and 3. This change. in cross section. isobtainedby the method of forming the nozzle which is;

hereinafter described. Because the change from.

a circular section tov a triangular section. is

progressive and preferably uniform, the. inside.-

surf ace of the nozzleis smooth and uninterrupted... The upper edge IE being of triangular shape,

three substantially straight. sides. [61; and three;

pouring lips. ll are provided.

It will. be observed from Figures. 4 and 6, which are longitudinal sectional views passing through. the axis it of the nozzle, that the walls of the.

nozzle there shown in section are. substantially:

straight between the upper edge [6 and. the dotted. line He. The. same would be true of any other.

section passingv through the axis [8. More par ticularly, the wall of. the nozzle. shown at the:

left in Figures 4 and 6 extends to oneof the pour:v

ing lips ll while. the wall of the nozzle shown in section at the right of Figures 4 and: 6; is posi.-- tioned. between two other pouring lips II.

1y while the line at the right is inclined upwardly and inwardly. As illustrated in Figure 3; the walls between the lips I! are inclined inwardly from a true circle while the portion of .the wail forming a pouring lip I! isv inclined outwardly from the circle defined at the line I la.

The pouring lips I! may be regarded asthe vertices of the triangular top edge Hi. It will be seen that the altitude of each vertex is greater than the diameter of the circular end portion 1 4 of the nozzle. This is clear from Figure 3' where in the line A designates the altitude of a vertex, viz, the distance between the inside edge of the outermost point on a pouring lip I1 and the in--' terior edge of the opposite straight wall [8a,

while line D indicates the inside diameter of the circular lower edge portion H of the nozzle. *For example, where D is 1 A will approximate This fact, taken with the fact that the straight walls [6a are equal in length, insures-- that the area of the outlet end of the nozzle will be equal to the area at the inlet end I].

nozzle from tubular circular stock, as hereinafter explained. Hence, the area of the nozzle is substantially uniform throughout its length.

lips 1 1.

The. line at the left is inclined upwardly and; outward-:

These equal areas are also obtained by forming the edge It of the nozzle. This is demonstrated in Figure 5 by the circular line designated 18a which encloses the upper edge It of the nozzle. As shown in Figure 5, the line I8a substantially corresponds to the inner wall of the cap to be used with the nozzle. The nozzle [0 is provided with an outwardly and downwardly drawn bead [9 at its upper edge 15 which serves to reinforce the nozzle and prevent it from being bent or otherwise distorted. The upper edge I6 is substantially flat to thereby lie in one plane so that every point thereon will firmly engage the liner of a cap applied to the nozzle. Bead l9 serves as a cap engaging means without enlarging the nozzle to a greater degree than is required for the reinforcement of its top edge.

Figures 14 and 15 illustrate a'standard type of skirted cap 20 including an outwardly rolled bead 2| at its lower edge and which may be applied to the nozzle iii. The cap 23 which is illustrated is provided with three short lengths 22 of inwardly rolled threads, these threads being spaced sufficiently far to enable the cap to be initially placed upon the nozzle with the threads 22 between the rounded pouring lips ll. When the cap is then rotated, each thread 22 thereon will move beneath the portion of bead IE1 at a pouring lip ll, resulting in the cap being drawn downwardly upon the pouring nozzle so that the flat supper surface of the nozzle will firmly contact with the liner 23 of cap 2!! to provide a tight seal.

It will be noted that because the top edge l6 of the nozzle is fiat and, therefore, the portions of bead I 9 adjacent the pouring lip 11 are not inclined as is the case with the threads 22, theoretically there is only a point to point contact between the under surface of bead l9 and the upper surface of a thread 22 when the cap is in tightly sealed position. However, this point contact, at three points, is entirely adequate because of the top-seal established between the upper surface of bead l9 and the liner 23. Liner 23 may be of paper board or similar liner material with its under surface faced or coated according to the material which is to be placed in the container I 2. While the liner 23 must possess some degree of resiliency, it cannot be too soft because the liner moves laterally and translationally with respect to the straight walls IBa of the top edge It during rotation of the cap to sealing position.

Figures 7 to 13 illustrate the various steps in a method whereby the nozzle may be produced. As is shown in Figure 7, the first step of the method may be to produce a hat-shaped blank 30 of the same outline and size as would be used to form one standard size of cap. the blank including a top wall 3|,a skirt 32 and an outwardly extending rim or flange 33 at the lower edge of skirt 32.

The fact that the present nozzle may be formed from a conventionally hat-shaped cap blank eliminates the necessity of special machinery to carry out at least the initial step of forming the nozzle and thereby reduces the cost of production.

Figure 8 shows the second step of the process in that the blank 30 shown in that figure has been fed from a hopper to a standard press to be redrawn to increase the length of the skirt 32. In

. some instances, if the nozzle is to be relatively shallow, or if a higher hat-shaped blank is used, the redrawing illustrated in Figure 8 may be omitted.

Figure 9 shows the blank 30 after the skirt 32 has been flared at three points as indicated at 32a. It will be noted that the flaring is greatest at the lower end of skirt 32 and extends close to the top wall 3|. This operation involves drawing some material from the flange 33 as well as drawing the skirt 32.

In Figure 10 the blank is illustrated after the flange 33- has been trimmed so that its perimeter 33a will follow the outline of the lower edge given to the skirt during the flaring operation resulting in the device of Figure 9.

Figure 11 shows the blank with the central portion of its top wall 3| punched out to provide an aperture 3Ia and Figure 12 shows the blank after the remaining portion of the top wall has been drawn to the form of an annulus. The dotted line Ila on Figure 12 corresponds to the dotted line I la of Figures 4 and 6 and the portion above this line in Figure 12 is of true circular form so that it will fit upon a can as illustrated in Figures 4 and 6. At the same time, the flange 33 may be given an initial rolling to form a partially rolled bead indicated at War.

Figure 13 shows the completed nozzle provided after the partially formed bead 39a has been rolled to the final form indicated at l9.

If desired, suitable circular stock other than the hat-shaped blank shown in Figure 7 may be used to form the nozzle. For example, circular stock which (a) omits the top wall 3| of the Figure 7 blank, or (b) is provided with a top rim such as defined by the aperture 3 la in Figure 11, may be used instead of the blank shown in Figure 7.

The terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, the scope of the invention being indicated in the claims.

I claim:

1. A pouring nozzle including a tubular wall portion which is circular at one end and varies progressively and substantially uniformly in section from said circular end to its opposite end so that the latter end will be substantially triangular and equilateral. the diameter of said circular end being less than the altitude of a vertex of said triangle at the opposite end, every line lying in the wall of said nozzle at the intersection of the wall and a plane passing through the axis of the nozzle being a substantially straight line, said circular end being adapted to be secured to a container.

2. A pouring nozzle of the character described in claim 1 wherein the triangular end of the nozzle is beaded to be engaged by the thread element on the skirt of a cap.

LESLIE R. N. CARVALH'O.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,611,443 Hothersall Dec. 11, 1926 1,712,203 Gadsden May 7, 1929 2,015,152 Nesseltre Sept. 24, 1935 2,026,839 Krause Jan. 7, 1936 2,239,065 Wainwright Apr. 22, 1941 2,293,610 McQuinn Aug. 18, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 

